Unemployment Extension: 'What Are They Waiting On?'

Kim Bullock of Las Vegas, Nev., said she lost her job with a telecom company almost exactly one year ago after her employer went bankrupt. Now she's worried her unemployment insurance will run out before she finds a new job.

Bullock said her yearlong search for work has resulted in several interviews, but no offers. "It's just crazy because it seems like you have to put in 50 or 60 resumes just to get one callback, and then you're competing with hundreds of other applicants," Bullock said.

She's one of 6 million whose federal unemployment compensation would be cut short next year if Congress doesn't reauthorize the benefits. And Bullock is one of several dozen jobless who've written HuffPost in the past week to say they are anxiously watching lawmakers for signs of a deal.

Unfortunately for those people, instead of an agreement, on Thursday it seemed Congress was headed for a holiday showdown. While Democrats want a renewal of the benefits without strings attached, House Republicans are crafting a proposal that will reauthorize federal benefits programs and simultaneously slash benefits. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), the top Democrat on the House committee that oversees jobless benefits, sharply criticized the nascent proposal.

"While we don't have all the details, in this case the devil is made plain in the general outlines of the Republican proposal," Levin said in a statement. "The plan Republicans presented this morning would slash federal unemployment insurance by more than half, cutting by 40 weeks Americans' eligibility for assistance -- even as we continue to emerge from the worst recession in 80 years. Also very concerning are indications that Republicans may propose undermining access to regular state unemployment benefits in the future."

Spokesmen for key Republicans in the House declined to provide details to HuffPost, but CNN reported the benefits would be part of a package that includes both a continuation of a payroll tax cut that has provided an average of $1,000 for every working American this year and a so-called "doc fix" to prevent a 27 percent pay cut to doctors who treat Medicare patients. The measure would be paid for with a federal salary freeze, and it would also speed construction of the Keyston XL pipeline -- provisions Democrats oppose.

The GOP's plan would shorten the maximum duration workers can receive federal unemployment benefits from 73 weeks to 33 weeks, CNN reported. Federal jobless benefits kick in for people who don't find work before running out of state aid, which typically lasts 26 weeks. Part of that reduction presumably would come from allowing the federal "Extended Benefits" program -- which supplies the final 20 weeks of aid for workers in states with high unemployment rates -- to phase out in 2012, which will happen anyway unless Congress proactively changes federal law to allow states to remain eligible. The Republican plan could achieve further reductions by incorporating legislation passed by a House committee earlier this year that would allow states to redirect federal jobless funds from benefits to paying down state debt to the federal government.

Also, according to reports, the GOP bill would allow states to drug test the jobless. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) introduced standalone legislation to do just that, though evidence of a drug epidemic among the jobless is hard to find.

Most jobless would be eligible for more weeks of benefits under the GOP proposal than with no bill at all, though it was unclear how the new scheme would treat workers who've already used up a portion of their federal compensation.

Kim Bullock said she's received $398 per week since she lost her billing job with the telecom company last December. She said she's got four kids whose ages range from five to 16, and that if she can't find work before running out of unemployment, another family member will have to absorb her household. She worries she'd have to transfer her kids to a new school system. Already, she said, she's holding back on even a small amount of Christmas shopping because of the uncertainty.

"If I lose my unemployment there’s no way I’ll be able to make it," she said. "What are they waiting on? Why do we have to wait in distress?"

Comments

[Kathy McCary]

04:28 PM on 01/20/2012

I know how she feels, I have been out of work since Dec. 2008, went to College but no one will hire me due to no experience with the Education, then I have the one's that will not hire me because I have to much Education, so I am stuck in the middle. But the Cold Hard Facts are I need a job any job at this point in my 3+ years of being Unemployed!!!!

[LMB Somethingtosay]

05:17 PM on 12/19/2011

What an important article/commentary from a women who is experiencing the REALITY of this continued RECESSION. I completely empathize -- I exhausted all 99 weeks of my UI earlier this year. With that said, here's what I don't understand -- the absolute LACK of concern and common sense when it comes to the needs of the American people.

How in good conscience can Congressional leaders debate the renewal of UI extensions as though it's polite dinner conversation? The REALITY is that people are hurting and worried about their day-to-day living. How dare they believe that they command some-sort-of authority to decide who receives benefits or not (i.e. who gets to eat or not, or who gets to pay rent or a mortage). Are they doing without? Are they suffering? NO!!!

Unemployment benefits are not wlefare. It's a system set-up to help people in time of need, and this is the most extreme that this country has experienced since the Great Depression. Wasting time on how to cut the number of weeks a person should receive benefits is ridiculous. Deal with that later and get back to, and stay in the current reality! In a "normal" economic downturn people don't usually need 99 weeks of assistance. This isn't a NORMAL recession. ARE THEY CRAZY????

LMB

[tbreaux]

12:51 PM on 12/14/2011

Most americans that are unemployed would trade places with any of you . I am one of those statistics. I work hard & had a good job and was layed off in June. I am also a single parent with a young 7 year old. I have applied for several jobs and I to get by I have been cleaning houses so I can keep a roof over my son head. I am not to good and I will take any job. But after christmas I will also be homeless. There are faces, stories, and so many tears behind all these politics but what people seem to forget is the human side. I am ashamed to say I was doing the same things as some of you and reading a story about a family I didn't know who were fighting for their benefits and I thought they were not trying and now I am one if them. Any person like me can go from making $50000 a year to the level of poverty. I have learned to never say never. Behind each picture or article you read is a person that has their hands in their head praying and hoping that someone will hear them. I would never want or wish on anyone in govt. goverment or on this board to be in my shoes or anyone of the million amercians who have to tell their own child I am sorry I did my best but that was not good

[NWohio]

06:52 PM on 12/14/2011

I too use to judge those who didn't have a job within a few months. Then I was laid off because of the economy. It is amazing how easy it is to judge someone when you aren't in their shoes. My husband lost his job a few months after I did. He was lucky enough to get another job a few months later, but there are many who aren't so lucky.

Sorry you are struggling, I hope things look up for you soon.

[Friendlyamerican]

12:15 PM on 12/14/2011

she says she has children to take care of...well so doesnt alot of us. our people are suffering is because noone wants to learn new skills outside of the ones they know. if the market you went to school to earn a job isnt working for you get in retraing for another occupation while collecting We dont live in a world that requires us to know very well just one thing.its the old saying dont put allyour eggs in one basket. im skilled in many areas and have 3 degrees i know how to do more than one thing.many didnt go to college over the years but they wanted jobs that paid them high to do nothing you all got comfortable with that. now you have a reality slap.maybe you should have went to college to learn new things.i say suspend the unemployment benefits back down to 1 year and watch what happens unless you are in a training program will you be able to collect the 99 weeks...in two years you could have an asscoiates degree in your field of choice.i dont want to hear anymore whining about the issue.."go back to school" if your income is down from where you were you may be able to get assistance.im not letting my children pay for all your lazy a55es...get off your duff and go do something else.get retrained.stop whinning.the slush fund is over

[NWohio]

10:17 PM on 12/13/2011

I've been on unemployment for over a year. I have 9 months of school left before I graduate and then I will be more qualified to get a good paying job. Why don't they propose that in order to continue receiving benefits you must repay the unemployment back when you get back to work? I would be willing to have 3% of my check used to repay what I am using. I DON'T want to have to live in unemployment. I just need to right now so I can finish my classes.

[Friendlyamerican]

02:37 PM on 12/14/2011

you shouldnt have to pay it back.....we as the people of the USA are an asset to our government when we succeed.....this is insurance not a loan....would you be willing to payback yoiur insurance company because your house burned down? like i said...this is insurance not a loan its not about paying it back its about advancing the skills of our society and we should use the program to capitalize on the skills of our people....God Bless America

[NWohio]

06:49 PM on 12/14/2011

I disagree, my insurance was for 26 weeks. the federal extension gave me an additional year. Anything over that I have absolutely no issue with repaying what I receive. This is just a suggestion I have made. I just worry about being able to finish my last 9 months of school. I want to be able to do well in school and graduate so that I can become a productive citizen again. Hopefully congress can be compassionate and help those of us who are trying to better ourselves.

[apollo1000]

10:53 AM on 12/15/2011

Pay it back??!!! Are you serious? You do realize that you paid for unemployment insurance with EVERY PAY CHECK THAT YOU EVER RECEIVED. Every damn check you got had unemployment insurance taken out. Which means that you paid for it UP FRONT. I don't know about you, but I have been working for almost 20 years now, so that is a lot of payments to the unemployment insurance fund. If the state/federal governments are going to be so miserly with it and only allow six months of coverage then how about giving me the option to completely opt out for unemployment insurance coverage and let me keep my money up front? No one on unemployment should feel bad because that is money that you paid into the system. To hell with anyone that tries to make you feel like you are taking welfare for being on unemployment.

[Independence2012]

08:19 PM on 12/18/2011

I agree with Apollo1000, a lot of us who have worked for many years and had unemployment insurance taken out of our checks, are now being made to feel like its welfare, or just plain taking money from tax payers, when we are the tax payers!!!!!

[sbodner122]

02:53 PM on 12/12/2011

I want to thank our government for cutting my benefits 2 weeks before Christmas. Maybe all the unemployed should go to your houses so you see the faces behind the numbers. No pay cuts or layoffs for you and still you continue to get nothing done. Sure take tour holiday break and enjoy yourself no need to worry about all the Americans you just screwed. Maybe our country should stop telling other countries what to do and worry about " your people" or is that to much to ask.

[Friendlyamerican]

02:38 PM on 12/14/2011

let me ask what retraining your did for 99 weeks....did you invest in your future and that of your children and government by increasing your abilities...like i said....you had 99weeks

[Independence2012]

08:27 PM on 12/18/2011

Dear Mr Friendlyamericano, You have great ideas, but before you talk and give advice, check out the facts first. Our unemployment office cuts people off from their checks, when in school, unless its something they approve. It does get complicated, and very upsetting, because they should lean more over school, and get people to upgrade their skills. They want you to look for work in anything even if its not in your own profession, they don't really care on increasing their abilities like they should, which is a big mistake.

[Independence2012]

08:32 PM on 12/18/2011

I do have one suggestion, for people that are losing their unemployment, please, don't be ashamed or embarrassed, but if this what you got to do to survive, I will certainly do it. If you have small children, apply for AFDC and food stamps, and than start looking for a new trade, enroll into a city college, because AFDC is good only for five years, don't waste time, do it as soon as possible. It won't be forever. Just for survival........................

[sickofpoliticians2012]

01:02 PM on 12/12/2011

The time has come were americans need to do more. We need to start filing petitions to throw out people from office. They haved gotten so corrupt and care nothing about americans. They only help corruption. Its time for CHANGE. Lets go out and have massive protest and massive petitions to throw these people out of office. Nothing else is going to work.

[Friendlyamerican]

02:40 PM on 12/14/2011

yes i agree toss them out if they are going to continue to suppor tbig business in thier failed efforts to move thier businesses forward to hire people...but if you had 99 weeks to get a skill in some other field of study one that is in need possibly when the market breaks and jobs in your privious field become available you would have more to offer and could probably recieve more money that what you may have earned if you waited

d

[sickofpoliticians2012]

03:30 AM on 12/15/2011

I agree, people should gain better skills to get better pay. But as much as I want everyone to do that. Wont happen some people are just plain lazy. They are not the ones I care about, its the real hard working americans who are being bullied by these republicans and business owners. Create jobs my foot, they are making more money now and using the fear that people have on losing thier jobs making them do more for either same money or less. More jobs can be created but businesses see this time frame as a great way to exploit pay rate and jobs. WHy hire more when you can make your current employees scared of losing thier jobs, were being forced to do more while the business owners are making bigger profits. ENOUGH

[Sandra Hald]

10:52 AM on 12/12/2011

No people should not have to volunteer for benefits when looking for a job is harder than having one and going to work everyday. People spend their days putting in applications and sending out resumes is that not work. Then maybe you will get a call back, then you get the interview and hope you get the job, only to get a letter in the mail saying they went with someone more qualified. I myself have been qualified for every job I applied for and overqualified for others. Still 2 years later no job. If that isnt working for benefits I don"t know what is.

[Friendlyamerican]

02:42 PM on 12/14/2011

Nice job sandra this is what many americans do however its still not enough...time to move into a different field of study and get an associates degree in that field. Pick one that is needed in todays economy.....

[NWohio]

06:56 PM on 12/14/2011

I understand, this is why I am in school to change my field of work. Medical field is the way to go. Did you know that an RN starts at around 24-29 an hour? Occupational Therapy Assistant starts at around 19 per hour.

[og56v8]

12:06 AM on 12/12/2011

gingrich has to be writing a book on i"m rich an your poor an do you think i really care my fellow americans.Me an my republicans buddies have already screw the country up off an on for the last twenty five years lets add 5 more are even 15 more years. we're rich an your not hahaha!! hehehe!!.

[Friendlyamerican]

02:43 PM on 12/14/2011

this is funny but if you notice the rich and the wealthy who want to screw people dont vote....they lobby....your are surely a very young republican...i say your maybe 30? 35 at most....you cannot remember 25 years ago you were riding skateboards

[fortressfountain]

02:56 PM on 12/11/2011

So they want drug testing not to find people on drugs but to bring revenue to the states, the fed and give free money to the lobbies of the drug tests? Whose friend or relative is in charge of the drug testing?
If they only find less than 1% of the people on drugs-how is this even helpful?

[fortressfountain]

02:54 PM on 12/11/2011

Long hold times of an hour when you call the offices, now I suppose they want long drug testing lines, long job search history lines etc.
Just a way to punish the people because the politicans screwed up.

[DDay52]

11:14 AM on 12/10/2011

When will people finally figure out that the GOP is against them? I have to find major fault with the people of the South. The Old confederacy used to vote strictly Democratic, then the Dems backed Civil Rights and as LBJ said , "the Democratic Party just lost the South for generations." Why can't these people THINK for themselves? They come from some of the poorest areas of the nation, yet they back these neo-cons who have NO DESIRE to help them. The Dem party is NOT going to take away your guns nor your right to worship! STOP backing these Republican thugs!

[gemmax]

03:29 PM on 12/11/2011

I think a more accurate statement would be that almost all politicians are for themselves. Don't discount the ability of the people from some of the poorest states to think for themselves. In many cases I believe that they vote the way they do because they perceive that the GOP has the same moral values that they do.

[surfinthecoochie]

04:48 PM on 12/11/2011

Many people in the south are afraid their states will end up like the democratic state maryland. Maryland has some of the most restritive gun laws in the country, a state income tax and comptrolers collections office that make the IRS look like kittens and worse of all, it is a santuary state for illegal aliens. You can actually walk into a chain store like advance Auto that is supposed to require background check, ID and SS card to work there and have Illegal aliens that speak really bad english waiting on you.
Thats why many people in the south vote republican. What you get in return is a Gov. like floridas Rick Scott who creates a law that requires a homeless veteran who lives under a bridge to pass a drug test before he is allowed to eat food and the lowest unemployment compensation in the country is droped down to allmost nothing. Rick scott owned a company that makes Drug Test Kits. He "gave" that company to his wife to avoid a conflict of interest with his new law.

[TybeeBoBo]

01:40 PM on 12/12/2011

I will agree that the Repubs are making everything more difficult and are doing everything they can to see the President fail, but the Dems have not stepped up at all. They need to support their President and stand up to those Repubs in Congress.

[StrayLeo1]

11:03 AM on 12/10/2011

What does blackmail have to do with governing??? Nothing, it is a criminal activity, and that my frriends says it all about the repoublican congress

[dayzee10]

09:30 AM on 12/10/2011

To all those that are unemployed scrounging around for any money to survive with while you are searching for work please remember that the Retealibanbaggerican Party answer to your pleas for jobs and benefits is "SCREW YOU!!!!! WE"VE GOT OURS!!!! AND SCREW YOU!!!! Please remember that when you vote next November

[Ryan Kenneth Leddy]

06:53 AM on 12/10/2011

And guess who pays for these drug tests? The tax payers. They did this same thing to Welfare recipients in Florida and found that only about 2% of recipients were using drugs meaning the cost far outweighed the benefits.

Last year Republicans did the same thing by dangling with the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits for an extension of the Bush Tax Cuts. Now, they are dangling the extension of the payroll tax cut for an over 50% cut in the duration of unemployment benefits and their Keystone pipeline which according to TransCanada's own data will only created between 2,000-4,500 jobs....Not 20,000.

The fact that a party would even use unemployment benefits...People's livelihood as a way to get political leverage is just beyond repugnant. I'm not sure what the GOP is trying to gain from this since this bill has no chance of passing the Senate and even if it did somehow it would be vetoed outright.

The GOP is confident in the fact that their base is blinded by racism and ignorance that they can do anything without backlash and this is evidence of that. I mean, how could supporters of the GOP possibly be behind such actions?